Board tightening tool



y 1951 1.. c. CLAIR 2,552,519

7 80M TIGHTENING TOOL Filed Nov. 14, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Tin-5 I g f;2/) 60/5 g 312-.- E 7 g f w 6 4 \\\&\\\\\ 14/ 320 Q m zslvrok. Z 97 BY WY /0 a J /arr omviy Patented May 15, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEBOARD TIGHTENING TOOL Louis C. Clair, Bernice, La.

Application November 14, 1949, Serial No. 127,026

11 Claims. 1

My invention relates broadly to hand tools, and more particularly to acombination joist grip and lever device for tightening boards applied tojoists.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a hand manipulated,board tightening tool which includes an engaging tong for gripping thejoist with respect to which the boards are applied, for operation as alever for tightening the boards preparatory to a nailing operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide a hand operated, boardtightening tool including an automatic tong gripping device for applyingthe tool to a joist for pivoting the tool as a simple lever for movementin effecting a board tightening operation.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a hand operated,board tightening tool including a lever member and a pair of grippingtongs in which the lever member is movable to either of two limitingpositions for controlling V the closing and opening of the tongs forapplying the tongs or removing the tongs from a joist when using thetool as a lever for tightening boards with respect to'the joist.

Still another object of my invention is to pro vide a uniqueconstruction of cam shaped terminus for the operating handle of a boardtightening tool coacting with complementary shaped, cam shaped ends on apair of angularly rockable tongs, which in one position grip oppositesides of a joist and serve as pivot means about which the tool may berocked, while in an O posite position the tongs are spread to releasethe tool from the engaging position.

Other and further objects of my invention reside in the construction ofcoasting tong and cam faces in a joist gripping and board tighteningtool, as set forth more fully in the specification hereinafter followingby reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the tool of my invention; Fig. 2is a side elevational view of the tool shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is anenlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially on line .3- 3 ofFig. 2 through the end portion of the tool, and showing the end of oneof the tongs broken away and illustrated in section; Fig. 4 is avertical sectional view through the tool of my invention, takensubstantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a transverse sectionalview taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a transversesectional view taken substantially on line 8-45 of Fig. 3; Fig. '7 is atransverse sectional view taken substantially on line l'! of Fig. 3;Fig. 8 is a view similar to the view illustrated in Fig. 3, but showingthe handle of the tool angularly shIfted to enable the cam shapedterminus of the tool to effect an angular displacement of the tongs wheninserting the tool over or remov- 2 ing the tool from a joist, asdistinguished from the disclosure in Fig. 3 illustrating the tongs movedto engaged position; Fig. 9 is a schematic view showing the tool of myinvention being applied to a joist preparatory to a board tighteningoperation; Fig. 10 shows the tool moved to position engaging the joistand in position for performing a board tightening operation; Fig. 11 isa side elevational view of the tool pivotally positioned on the joist asin Fig. 10 and illustrating the manner in which the tool is moved as alever to tighten an applied board to the previously secured boards withrespect to the joist; and Fig. 12 illustrates the tool in appliedposition tightening a loose board with respect to previously securedboards, preparatory for the securing of the board thus tightened.

My invention is directed to a simple and compact construction of boardtightening tool which i particularly suitable for facilitating thelaying of tongue and groove flooring and siding with respect to joistsor beams, and which may be conveniently manipulated by one hand forcontrolling the opening and closing of tongs with respect to a joist,the securing of the tongs in pivotal relation to the joist, and themovement of the tool as a lever for tightening siding or floor boardswith respect to the joist, for performing a nailing operation. The toolof my invention comprises a handle member pivotally mounted in a framestructure, and movable to either of two limiting positions in coactionwith a tongs formed by a pair of pivotally mounted levers. The leversare pivotally mounted in the frame structure, and are provided at theirextremities with means for pivotally gripping a joist or beam, and areprovided at their opposite extremities with cam shaped ends which coactwith cam shaped recesses and a cam shaped terminus on the pivotallymounted handle member, and operative under control of resilient mean formovement to either a spread or engaged position with respect to a joist.The tool of my invention is formed from a relatively small number ofparts and is capable of manufacture inexpensively on a mass productionscale. The tool is compact in construction and because of the fact thatit is readily manipulated by one hand of the operator, it may be readilyapplied and held by the left hand while performing a nailing operationwith the right hand.

Referring to the drawings in detail, reference character I designatesthe tool handle having a cam shaped terminus 2. The cam shaped terminus2 includes a rounded edge portion 2a,

and an abrupt edge portion 21), which integrally connect with cam shapedrecesses or V-shaped side notches in the terminus of the tool, asrepresented at l2 and I4. The V-shaped side notches l2 and M are ofisetwith respect to each other position displaced substantially from thecenter line of the tool and offset from the V-shaped notch I2. Thelocation of the V-shaped notches I2 and I l in the terminus of the toolhandle is very important, as these notches coast with the shaped ends oftongs I and IS in controlling the movement of the tongs a the angularityor" tool handle I is changed from one limiting position to another.

The cam shaped terminus 2 of the tool handle I is centrally apertured at3 for receiving a cylindrical journalling sleeve 6i therein, throughwhich the headed bolt 1 extends for journalling tool handle i forangular movement between the 2 on the terminus of tool handle I. Theextremities of the tongs I5 and I6 are formed along angular edgeportions I502 and IGd which correspond to the shapes of cams I4 and I2and coact therewith.

The tongs I5 and I6 are provided with recesses ifie and [6e therein,through which cylindrical journalling sleeves I1 and I8 extend, andabout tapered polygonally shaped frame plates 5 and r 6 of the tool. Theframe plates 5 and 6 are spaced apart by the journalling sleeve 4 inaperture 3 of tool handle I, and by the journalling sleeves ii and ISthrough which bolts l9 and pass for journalling tongs I5 and is betweenframe plates 5 and 6. r

The handle member I, journalled by means of journalling sleeve l betweenframe plates 5 and 5, is confined in position by headed bolt i, having aheaded end la on one end thereof, and a securing nut 8 on the other endthereof. A longitudinally extending spring strip 9 is secured under theheaded end la of bolt I, and extends coincidentally with the directionof tool handle l and terminates in a finger actuator grip 9a. The springstrip 9 carries a detent Ill thereon, adapted to engage in recess I I intool handle I when the tool handle I is moved to the central positionillustrated in Figs. 1-7 and 1012. In this position the tongs I5 and I6are maintained in joist engaging position, as illustrated moreparticularly in Figs. 10- 2. When, however, the tongs I5 and I6 are tobe spread for applying the tool over a joist, as illustrated in Figs. 8and 9, the finger actuatorg'rip ta of the longitudinally extendingspring strip 9 is displaced to dotted line position Ga, as shown in Fig.4, which withdraws detent Iii from recess II enabling handle l to beangularly shifted to the position illustrated in Fig. 8 or 9 forspreading the tongs I5 and It.

The structure of the tongs I5 and I6 which enable these tongs to bespread or contracted, is very important. The tongs i5 and It arerecessed at their interior adjacent edges, as represented at i5a andIta, for embracing opposite sides of a joist such as 2%, as hown inFigs. 9-12. The inner edges of the recesses i511 and Ida carryreplaceable spikes 22 and 23, which serve a the engagement and pivotmeans for the tool with respect to the opposite sides of the joist 24.These replaceable spikes are shown more particularly in Fig. 3, asillustrated for example by spike 23, which has a shank portion 23a and ashoulder portion 23b adapted to he slipped into a correspondingly shapedrecess in the end of the tong. As these spikes become worn they may berenewed from time to time.

The'opposite ends of the tongs I5 and it have differing lengths I5?) andI522. The end i5?) is interiorly shaped to provide an abrupt recess iEc,which ooacts with the abrupt edge portion 22) of the cam 2 on theterminus of handle 4. The end I60 of tong I6 is interiorly curved tocoact with the rounded edge portion 2a of cam which the tongs l5. and I6pivot. The inner adjacent edge faces of tongs I5 and I5 are providedwith socket recesses I51 and ltj'aligned with each other, and betweenwhich expansion coil spring ii is confined. The center line of socketsI5f and I6 is displaced from the centers of the journalling sleeves I1and It, providing a continuous turning moment for the tongs I5 and itabout the journalling sleeves I'i and I8. This turning moment isresisted by theoperation of cam shaped terminus 2 between the adjacentinterior edge faces I50 and I60 of tongs I5 and 56, so that coil spring2! operates to spread tongs I5 and. IE upon movement of the cam shapedterminus 2 to the position illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9, whereas themovement of cam shaped terminus 2 to the position illustrated in Fig. 3serves to compress coil spring 2I and move the tongs i5 and It to aposition in which spikes 22 and 23 engage the joist 24 as shown in Figs.lo-l2. Headed bolts I9 and 29 pass through the tapered polygonallyshaped frame plates 5 and S and are secured by nuts I912 and 29a,whereby the tongs I5 and I6 are free to rock under control of the camshaped terminus 2 and the expansion coil spring 2|.

In the operation of the tool of my invention, the loose tongue andgroove board 25 is moved to a position adjacent the tongue and groovesecured flooring 25, and the tongs l5 and I6 spread by disengagement ofdetent I9 and movement of tool handle i through the limits of an acuteangle to the position illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9, and the toolinserted over the joist 24 and pivotally gripped by the engagement ofspikes 22 and 23 in the sides thereof. The tool handle i is now restoredto a centrally aligned position as illustrated in Figs. l-7 and 10-12 byreverse movement of the tool handle through the limits of an acuteangle, and the tool handle latched in position by the displacement ofspring strip 9 and detent Iii, allowing detent IE3 to enter recess iifor centrally aligning tool handle I with the side frames of the tool.handle and side frames of the tool are all fiat, with the handle andtongs arranged in coplanar relation between side frames 5 and 6. Thepivotal connection is made with the opposite sides of the joist 24 in anapproximate location immediately below the leading edge of loose board25, as shown in Fig. 11, so that the tool may be operated as a lever, asshown in Fig. 12, to engage the leading edge of loose board 25 by theflat faces of tongs I5 and it, as illustrated in Fig. 12, for movingloose board 25 into atight position with respect to secured boards 25,as shown in Fig. 12. The previously secured boards 26 which have beennailed, as represented at 21, may now have the board 25 secured withrespect thereto as shown in Fig. 12.

Itwill be understood that the tool is applied totighten the loose boardswith respect to the secured boards at one joist location, while nailingis completed at the adjacent joist location. I have illustrated myinvention particularly adapted for the laying, tightening and securingof tongue and groove flooring, but I desire that The tongs and '5 it beunderstood that my invention is equally applicable to the securing ofsiding with respect to joists.

The tool is particularly adapted for applying a straightening force towarped or crooked boards to spring them in position in which they may besecured by nailing.

I have referred to the frame structure as constituted by pclygonallyshaped plates 5 and 6. These plates have the shape of isoscelestrapezoids, that is, the plates have two parallel sides and twonon-parallel sides tapered from the operating handle end of the tooloutwardly toward the tongs end of the tool.

I have found the tool of my invention highly practical and successful inits operation, and while I have described my invention in one of itspreferred embodiments I realize that modifications may be made and Idesire that it be understood that no limitations upon my invention areintended other than may be imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is as follows:

1. A tool comprising a frame structure, tongs pivotally mounted in saidframe structure and comprising a pair of pivotally mounted flat levermembers, a handle member pivotally mounted in said frame structure andterminating in a cam shaped terminus operative between said tongs, meansfor yieldably maintaining said tongs in engagement with said cam shapedterminus, said handle member being shiftable through the limits of anacute angle for spreading or collapsing said tongs, and means carried bysaid tongs for establishing a pivotal connection about which the saidtongs may be oriented.

2. A tool comprising a frame structure formed by a pair of spaced flatside frames, tongs constituted by a pair of rockably mounted leverspivoted between said side frames, a hand actuated lever pivotallymounted between said side frames and having a cam shaped terminusthereon extending between ends of the lever members constituting saidtongs, said handle member being movable through the limits of an acuteangle for angularly displacing said tongs and centering spikes carriedby said tongs for engaging opposite sides of a joist when said handlemember is moved to a position centrally aligned with said framestructure.

3. A tool comprising a frame structure formed by a pair of spaced flatplates, a tongs formed by a pair of lever members pivotally mountedapproximately midway of the length thereof for rockable movement betweensaid flat plates, said tongs having cam shaped portions at the inneradjacent ends therein, a lever member pivotally mounted in said framestructure and having a cam shaped terminus thereon operative between thecam shaped end portions of the said tongs, means for yieldablymaintaining the cam shaped portions of said tongs in engagement with thecam shaped terminus of said handle member, and pivotal engagement spikescarried by the inner edges of the other ends of said tongs.

4. A tool comprising a frame structure, a pair of pivotally mountedtongs disposed within said frame structure, said tongs having cam shapedend portions thereon extending adjacent each other, a handle memberpivotally mounted in said frame structure in a position intermediate thecam shaped ends of said tongs, a cam shaped terminus on said pivotallymounted lever member engageable with the cam shaped ends of said tongs,means for yieldably maintaining the cam shaped ends of said tongs inengagement with the cam shaped terminus of said lever member, andpivotal connection members carried by the other end of said tongs andmovable in alignment toward and away from each other accordto themovement of the cam shaped terminus of said handle member with respectto the cam shaped ends of said tongs.

5. A tool as set forth in claim 4 in which said handle member and saidtongs are coplanar and wherein a resiliently mounted detent is carriedby said frame structure and yieldably operative for latching said handlemember in central alignment with said frame structure and said tongswhen said tongs are moved to a position in which the pivotal connectionmembers approach each other in engagement position.

6. A tool as set forth in claim 4 in which the cam shaped terminus onsaid handle member includes a rounded edge portion and an abrupt edgeportion in combination with a pair of offset V-shaped side notches, andwherein the cam shaped end portions of said tongs are shaped to coactwith the aforesaid cam shaped terminus as said handle member is movedthrough the limits of an acute angle for spreading and contracting saidtongs.

7. A tool as set forth in claim 4 in which said frame structure issubstantially flat and in which said tongs and handle member arecoplanar and disposed between the flat frame structure and wherein thecam shaped end portions of said tongs include a curved edge portion onone of the tongs and an abrupt offset edge portion on the other of thetongs, with said cam shaped terminus formed by a rounded edge portioncoacting with the curved cam shaped end portion of the aforesaid tong,with an abrupt edge portion on said terminus coacting with the abruptcam shaped end portion of the said tongs, and wherein said cam shapedterminus includes a pair of ofiset V-shaped notches at opposite edgesthereof, each coacting with the ends of said tongs for facilitating thespreading and contracting of said tongs as said handle member isangularly shifted in a plane coplanar with the planes of said tongs.

8. A tool as set forth in claim 4 in which said frame structure isformed by a pair of fiat, tapered, polygonally shaped plate members,with said tongs and said handle member disposed therebetween in coplanarrelation.

9. A tool as set forth in claim 4 in which said tongs are recessedadjacent the pivotal connection members to embrace and extend over theedge and opposite sides of a joist.

10. A tool as set forth in claim 4 in which said tongs have unequallengths for overlapping the cam shaped terminus of said handle member byunequal amounts.

11. A tool as set forth in claim 4 in which the means for yieldablymaintaining said tongs in engagement with the cam shaped terminus ofsaid lever member consists of aligned sockets in adjacent edges of saidtongs offset from the pivotal mounting thereof, and an expansion coilspring disposed between said sockets for normally urging the pivotalconnection members carried by the ends of said tongs to separatedpositions.

LOUIS C. CLAIR.

No references cited.

